Patients with a medical history or symptoms suggestive of active TB should be referred promptly to the local city or County Health Department for medical evaluation of possible infectiousness. Such patients should not remain in the dental care facility longer than required to arrange a referral. While in the dental care facility, they should wear surgical masks and be instructed to cover their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing.
Patients suspected or confirmed to have active TB should be considered infective. Those patients will not be treated at the College of Dentistry until cleared as no longer contagious by a physician. Elective dental treatment should be deferred until a physician confirms that the patient does not have infectious TB.
Patients with a persistent cough should be asked the following questions before seating in the clinic area:
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Have you had a cough for more than three weeks?
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Do you currently have a cough of any duration, plus one of these symptoms: cough up blood, weight loss, night sweats, or fever?
If the patient responds “yes” to any of the above questions the following must occur:
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Give the patient a surgical mask and ask them to keep it on.
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Refer them promptly to the local city or County Health Department for medical evaluation.
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Reschedule the patient for a time when they are not infectious or medically cleared of active TB.
